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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26514316">magical, happy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsqwub/pseuds/starsqwub'>starsqwub</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Disney World &amp; Disneyland, Friends to Lovers, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:28:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,893</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26514316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsqwub/pseuds/starsqwub</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Akaashi, I’ve never been to Disneyland!” </p><p>“I know, Bokuto-san. Me neither.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>188</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>magical, happy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>(Parking Lot)</em>
</p><p>“Thank you for driving, Akaashi!”</p><p>“You’re welcome, Bokuto-san.”</p><p>Akaashi pulls his car neatly into the marked space; his feet are feathers on the brakes. Bokuto can never name the moment the car switches from go to stop, the transition’s so seamless. While Akaashi pulls his phone out to make note of their location (Goofy 3C), Bokuto’s fingers rush for the passenger door, flinging it open with a careless <em>whoosh</em>.</p><p>“What land should we go to first, Akaashi?” Bokuto shouts, tugging eagerly on his backpack straps. The sky is a big stretch of blue over the parking lot, full of promise.</p><p>Akaashi leans over the console to meet Bokuto’s eyes. “Do you have your water bottle, Bokuto-san.” </p><p>“Yeah, it’s in my backpack. Akaashi, should we start with Tomorrowland? Which land has the teacups?”</p><p>“Please double-check for your water bottle.” Akaashi rifles through his own backpack and pulls two tickets from within.</p><p>Bokuto roughly twists his backpack about his chest and excavates its contents. “I’m really excited to try the teacups. I wonder if I’ll throw up. I bet you’ll throw up, Akaashi. Don’t puke on me! Shoot, where’s my—”</p><p>“Bokuto-san.”</p><p>Akaashi leans into the backseat and lifts Bokuto’s water bottle into view.</p><p>Bokuto grins. “Ah. Thanks ‘Kaashi.”</p><p>Akaashi emerges from the car, shutting the door politely behind him. There’s something kind of magical and happy about Akaashi Keiji in casual clothes, or at least, that’s the way his t-shirt and linen shorts make Bokuto feel. Fitting, for a trip like this (their very first).</p><p>Bokuto balls his hands into fists, and that distinct rush he always gets before a big game runs through his legs and chest and neck. He’s nervous, but in a really good way—the way that makes your jumps higher, and laughs louder. So, Bokuto laughs. “Akaashi, I’ve never been to Disneyland!”</p><p>“I know, Bokuto-san. Me neither.” Akaashi smiles (magical, happy). “The teacups are in Fantasyland. We can start there.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(World Bazaar)</em>
</p><p>Bokuto Koutarou’s learning style has always been decidedly tactile—practice, practice, practice. His spikes improve with more spiking. He scores higher on quizzes when he remembers to ask more questions. Disneyland is no different. They take the train now because Akaashi won’t be tired from driving; they wear baseball caps, and pack light.</p><p>They do not start the day with three rounds of teacups, because that’s the fastest way to end the trip (thus far).</p><p>Sharing Mickey waffles with Akaashi is in fact the best way to start the day (thus far).</p><p>Akaashi pours syrup carefully into Mickey’s nose; he always leaves the ears for last, and finishes breakfast much faster than Bokuto. Depending on how early they start their day, Akaashi might buy a coffee, too, if only to warm his hands.</p><p>“Can I have a sip?” Bokuto asks, his fingers already pressed to the hot paper cup.<br/>
<br/>
“You hardly need the energy, Bokuto-san.” But he offers the drink freely still.</p><p>“Thanks, Akaashi.”</p><p>Bokuto’s lips meet too-hot coffee as a sparkle of something catches his eye: Mickey Ear headbands behind a storefront window, glittering in the morning light.</p><p>Bokuto blows softly on Akaashi’s coffee, his lips a tiny ‘o’. He knows the answer before he asks it (with Akaashi, he’s had practice, too); “Let’s look at some Ears, Akaashi.” Bokuto gives one last puff of air to Akaashi’s drink and passes it back, waiting for the surefire reproach, ready to pull him into the shop anyway.</p><p>But Akaashi only gives Bokuto a short nod in reply, and to his coffee, a slow, steady sip.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Tomorrowland)</em>
</p><p>Akaashi doesn’t ever say “no” to rollercoasters, but his mouth twists into a funny line as he fumbles with the seatbelt on Space Mountain.</p><p>Bokuto plucks the Mickey Ears (orange and black, for Tigger) from Akaashi’s head and safely stows them, only just remembering to store his own (blue and white and yellow, for Donald) a few moments later.</p><p>Akaashi’s mouth twists into an even funnier line, and Bokuto wonders if he’s nervous in that good kind of way, too.</p><p>They hit turn after turn in the dark, the wind whipping tears from their eyes, and Bokuto laughs loudly when Akaashi hastily wraps an arm around his own.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Fantasyland)</em>
</p><p>Bokuto gulps. “Do you think there are actually nine hundred and ninety-nine?”</p><p>Peering up at the Haunted Mansion’s brick facade, Bokuto feels a cartoonish shiver jolt up his spine. Dark clouds loom in the sky above, bleeding into each other like spilled ink. Akaashi appraises the mansion, his expression impassable even with a mouth full of pretzel. “That does seem a bit excessive.”</p><p>“Right? I thought so too, Akaashi!” Bokuto whispers, holding a park map to his mouth in case dutiful employees were listening. “Nobody needs that many ghosts.”</p><p>“One more makes a thousand, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi takes a final chomp of pretzel, eyes wide.</p><p>Bokuto’s shoulders pinch with pure dread. “Akaaaaaashi!” He’s gotta be brave, of course, for Akaashi’s sake; someone has to stand tall against the ghosts, and that someone was Bokuto by a full three centimeters. But there were so many tombstones, and the walls were somehow stretching, or was it really his imagination?, and soulless eyes followed him around every corner, and—</p><p>“Bokuto-san.” </p><p>Bokuto blinks, trying his very best to find Akaashi’s eyes in the dark of the Doom Buggy. He finds them.</p><p>“I have a challenge for you,” Akaashi says, and the Doom Buggy lurches forward. “A competition.”</p><p>Bokuto nods, eager. “Okay!” He’s surprised at how quiet his voice sounds, like the dark’s swallowing his words whole. But he can hear Akaashi so clearly.</p><p>“What if we counted them,” Akaashi continues. “The happy haunts. We can see who counts the most.”</p><p>Bokuto considers this. “I can definitely count more. I’m not afraid.”</p><p>“Me neither,” Akaashi says, and he feels quite close.</p><p>Bokuto loses count around the Hitchhiking Ghosts; he’s too busy laughing and pointing and asking Akaashi if he’s looking, did you see that Akaashi?, and yes, he’s looking, yes, he saw it, and he surely lost count, too.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Train)</em>
</p><p>It doesn’t take an expert to know that there’s several good ways to end a Disneyland trip, so long as you don’t throw up on Akaashi. (The teacup limit is two rounds—thus far. Practice, practice, practice.)</p><p>You can end the night with ice cream and a parade and get all the songs stuck in your head and sing them super well to Akaashi.</p><p>You can end the night at the Penny Arcade and shake the stupid claw machine a couple times and stare at the way Akaashi’s hair kind of glows beneath all the blinking bulbs.</p><p>You can end the night with fireworks, though they haven’t actually tried that yet—it’s always too late, or someone’s getting hungry, and besides, neither of them are all that interested in the first place, really.</p><p>But even then, there’s still the train home, and whether they’ve had ice cream or played arcade games or definitely-not-watched fireworks, Akaashi still rests his head on Bokuto’s shoulder, and Bokuto feels warm inside.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Westernland)</em>
</p><p>They cross the Rivers of America to Tom Sawyer Island in silence. Akaashi tugs and twists at his fingers.</p><p>They walk quiet loops around the island, while children run and skip and climb. Akaashi studies their map. Akaashi crosses a swinging bridge. Akaashi looks up a tall tree. Akaashi tugs and twists at his fingers.</p><p>Bokuto watches Akaashi.</p><p>“We can go home, Akaashi. If you want. If you’re not feeling well. I really don’t mind.” He really didn’t, at all.</p><p>“I’m fine.” Akaashi lingers by a wooden bench, taking a slow seat.</p><p>“‘Kaashi.” Bokuto squats, cocking his head just slightly. He almost thinks to take Akaashi’s hand to soothe all of his fidgeting.</p><p>“I don’t want to leave yet.” Akaashi smoothes his hands over his knees. “I want you to have fun, Bokuto-san.”</p><p>“I am!”</p><p>“This trip is for you, Bokuto-san.”</p><p>“I guess so,” Bokuto says, and Akaashi’s head whips at that. “I mean, I just don’t really think of it that way. You’re really sweet for thinking that, Akaashi, super sweet, but… we’re gonna come here a thousand times after I graduate, too, and you’ll always be with me.”</p><p>Akaashi’s brow slowly eases its harsh fold, as if Bokuto were tugging a loose thread somewhere.</p><p>Bokuto smiles a little. “If this trip were just for me, then I’d be alone at Disneyland. And who would ever want that?”</p><p>And Bokuto must’ve tugged just right on the thread, because Akaashi breaks into a little smile, too. “I wouldn’t. You’re right.”</p><p>“I know I’m right! Trust your senpai on this one, Akaashi. Hey hey hey, are you hungry? Let’s get some popcorn.”</p><p>Akaashi’s still quiet on the river raft back to Westernland, but he nods and hums at Bokuto’s ideas for which rides to get a fast pass for, and he stops twisting his fingers—just holds them, instead.</p><p> </p><p><em>(Adventureland)</em><br/>
<br/>
There’s a few trips they take the summer Bokuto graduates, and then a long, long gap. But Bokuto always texts Akaashi dates for potential getaways—stolen Saturdays where neither of them have practice, or forbidden Fridays where they absolutely do have practice, but Bokuto just wants to see Akaashi.</p><p>It’s very close to Christmas when they finally visit Disneyland again. The sky is perfectly clear despite the brisk cold.</p><p>Akaashi is wearing a nice scarf patterned with crisp gray lines, and Bokuto tugs on it absently as they climb up the Swiss Family Treehouse. “I miss your sets, Akaashi!”</p><p>“Really,” Akaashi says, tracing his hand along false bamboo. “This is the first I’m hearing of this.” Bokuto doesn’t need to see Akaashi’s face to know he’s teasing, but really, that’s beside the point.</p><p>“I missed coming here, too,” Bokuto adds, thumbing the scarf’s soft cotton. “But it doesn’t actually feel like it’s been that long.”</p><p>“It felt long to me,” Akaashi adds, though it’s not all that sad. Just honest.</p><p>Bokuto nods. “Yeah.” He feels nervous for some reason, though he’s not sure if it’s bad or good, or really good.</p><p>Akaashi pauses for a moment on the narrow stairs, two whole steps above Bokuto; he stares out to Cinderella’s castle, its thin spires framed by a thick halo of leaves. They’re the only two in the whole treehouse, Bokuto thinks, and maybe the whole park, he feels.</p><p>“What if,” Bokuto hears himself saying, but he doesn’t know where the words might end. He’s just staring at the light dappling Akaashi’s profile, and tugging cotton in his hand; that’s all he’s thinking, and feeling.</p><p>“What if,” Akaashi repeats, tilting his chin down to Bokuto, very slightly.</p><p>It’s mostly a good nervous, Bokuto decides, because he climbs one step higher. “Akaashi,” Bokuto says, and he lets out a laugh. “I’ve never really done this before.”</p><p>Akaashi’s dark eyes dart over Bokuto’s eyes and face and hair; he lets out a short breath, and it puffs in the cold between them. And then, in the treehouse’s secret shade, Akaashi smiles. “Me neither, Bokuto-san.”</p><p>Akaashi takes Bokuto's hand.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Fantasyland, II)</em>
</p><p>The fireworks are bright and loud and Bokuto can feel them bursting even in his chest. Music soars, and the castle is bathed in pink and blue and gold. </p><p>Bokuto can't name the exact moment Akaashi kisses him, the transition's so seamless. </p><p>A firework whistles in the sky, and Akaashi smiles (magical, happy). </p><p> </p>
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